Epoxy resins from dicyclopentadiene-phenol adducts and a method of preparing the same

Abstract

An epoxy resin having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and n is an integer of from 0 to 15, and wherein said resin has an epoxy equivalent in the range of 260-345 g/eq.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. An epoxy resin having the formula: ##STR5## wherein R is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and n is an integer of from 0 to 15, and wherein said resin has an epoxy equivalent in the range of 260-345 g/eq. 
     
     
       2. The epoxy resin of claim 1, wherein said resin has an epoxy equivalent in the range of 280-345 g/eq. 
     
     
       3. The epoxy resin of claim 1, which is produced by reacting eipchlorohydrin with a resin obtained from the polymerization of a phenol with dicyclopentadiene. 
     
     
       4. The epoxy resin of claim 3, wherein said phenolic compound is selected from the group consisting of phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol, ethyl phenol and isopropyl phenol. 
     
     
       5. The epoxy resin of claim 3, wherein the reaction of said phenolic compound with dicyclopentadiene is in the presence of a catalyst. 
     
     
       6. The epoxy resin of claim 5, wherein said catalyst is a Lewis acid catalyst selected from the group consisting of AlCl 3 , BF 3 , ZnCl 2 , H 2  SO 4 , TiCl 4  and H 3  PO 4 . 
     
     
       7. The epoxy resin of claim 5, wherein the phenol is first melted and said catalyst is added thereto, and then said dicyclopentadiene is added dropwise at a temperature of 50°-180° C. in the amount of 0.001-0.1 moles of catalyst, and 0.1-10.0 moles of said phenol to 1 mole of dicyclopentadiene. 
     
     
       8. The epoxy resin of claim 3, wherein the resin obtained from the polymerization of said phenol and dicyclopentadiene is dissolved into a 1-20 molar excess of epichlorohydrin at a temperature of 10-120° C. in the presence of a catalyst. 
     
     
       9. The epoxy resin of claim 8, wherein said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of tetramethyl ammonium bromide, benzyltriethyl ammonium bromide, tetraethyl ammonium chloride, trimethylamine, halogenated phosphonium salts, potassium bromide and sodium chloride; and is used in the amount of 0.05-5.0 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of resin.